Steven Pront and the Mighty Mystery
by Lance M Conn
Summary: Follow the adventures of Steven Pront as he discovers that he is a wizard and has been invited to attend Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.
1. The Nonunexpected Letter

Visit the Steven Pront and the Mighty Mystery Resource Page at http://cullmanfirst.nazonline.com/spatmm.html.  
  
Forgive the corniness of the title. As a great fan fiction author once said, "I didn't think of it, I don't own it, I'm not getting lots of $$ from it. JK Rowling did, does and has been." This is my first Harry Potter fanfic, but it is definitely not the first fantasy story I have written. I'm particularly experienced in writing Star Wars fictions with my very own characters. I rarely borrow another author's characters, simply because I generally don't want them to use mine. Of course, no one wants to use my characters, so there's really no point. And here I go blithering as usual.  
  
Chapter 1 - The Nonunexpected Letter  
  
It was seven fifty-nine in the morning at the Pront house. And somehow, Steven found himself staring at his clock waiting for the alarm to go off. Not many eleven year olds would spend their summer getting up shortly after the crack of dawn for no particular reason. But Steven figured that since he wouldn't be waking up for school at twelve o'clock noon after summer, he might as well not break down and do it during the summer.   
  
A loud, annoying sound broke from the small, black clock sitting on Steven's bedside table. Taking great joy from slamming the clock to turn off its alarm, Steven rolled out of bed and began to get ready for the day. As our main character does this, allow me to take a moment and make an introduction. You are standing here in the Pront house. Why exactly, I do not know, but you are here and we'll just go with that. As you can see, young Mr. Pront is an average-sized, brown-haired, green-eyed eleven-year-old boy. Quite normal, wouldn't you say? But something is waiting for Steven at the breakfast table.  
  
Fifteen minutes later, Steven bounded down the hall and into the kitchen where his grandmother was cooking breakfast. "Good morning, Nana. How's your morning?"  
  
The woman at the stove turned with a sour look on her face, "It would be much better if I didn't have to go around the house picking up your clothes. Now sit down and eat your breakfast." She said this with a bit of anger creeping into her voice, but as she brought Steven's plate to him, she broke a smile and kissed him on the forehead. "You have a letter, Steven. It arrived this morning," she said and she plopped a rather odd-looking envelope onto the table. Saving the letter for later, Steven ate his breakfast greedily.   
  
Moving from the kitchen to the living room after he finished eating, Steven picked up the daily paper and pretty much forgot about the letter. Steven's grandmother gave it a cursory look as she saw it while she was cleaning up. "Steven, are you going to open your letter. Apparently some school wants your attention."  
  
"Oh yeah," Steven said, jumping up off of the couch and jogging back into the kitchen to pick up his letter. Rotating the letter in his hands, he saw that it was indeed a letter from a school, but apparently this was some sort of joke. "Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry?"  
  
His Nana said nothing as her full attention was on the dishes in the sink. Sitting down into a chair, Steven carefully pried the letter opened and pulled a single sheet of old parchment from the envelope. Blowing into the envelope to make sure there was nothing else, Steven could have sworn he heard a giggle. Setting the envelope down, he unfolded the paper and began to read.  
  
Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry  
  
Headmaster: Albus Dumbledore   
  
(Order of Merlin, First Class, Grand Sorc., Chf. Warlock, Supreme Mugwump, International Confed. of Wizards)  
  
Dear Mr. Pront,  
  
We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment.  
  
Term begins on September 1. We await your owl by no later than July 31.   
  
Yours sincerely,  
  
Minerva McGonagall,  
  
Deputy Headmistress  
  
Nothing in the letter made sense, so being the logical boy he was, he scrutinized the part about their being an enclosed list. Steven scoffed, he had checked the envelope, and there was nothing else. Was there? He picked up the envelope, blew into it again to make it open it widen, was positive he heard a giggle, and then he saw it, another piece of paper. He pulled this paper out and opened it.  
  
Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry  
  
Uniform  
  
First-year students will require:  
  
1. Three sets of plain work robes (black).  
  
2. One plain pointed hat (black) for day wear.  
  
3. One pair of protective gloves (dragon hide or similar).  
  
4. One winter cloak (black, silver fastenings).  
  
Please note that all pupils' clothes should carry nametags.  
  
COURSE BOOKS  
  
All students should have a copy of each of the following:  
  
The Standard Book of Spells (Grade 1) by Miranda Goshawk.  
  
A History of Magic by Bathilda Bagshot.  
  
Magical Theory by Adalbert Waffling.  
  
A Beginners' Guide to Transfiguration by Emetic Switch.  
  
One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi by Phyllida Spore.  
  
Magical Drafts and Potions by Arsenius Jigger.  
  
Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them by Newt Scamander.  
  
The Dark Forces: A Guide to Self-Protection by Quentin Trimble.  
  
OTHER EQUIPMENT  
  
wand   
  
cauldron (pewter, standard size 2) set  
  
glass or crystal phials  
  
telescope set  
  
brass scales  
  
Students may also bring an owl OR a cat OR a toad  
  
PARENTS ARE REMINDED THAT FIRST YEARS ARE NOT ALLOWED THEIR OWN BROOMSTICKS  
  
Well, this was madness. "Nana, look at this letter." Steven grandmother broke away from the dishes, retrieved her glasses from the living room, sat next to him at the table, and took the letter. Holding it about a foot away from her eyes, Steven could clearly see that her face didn't have any look of surprise on it.  
  
"Well, we should be able to pick all of this up in Diagon Alley."  
  
Steven just sat there only able to manage an, "Er..."  
  
His grandmother took his hand, "Dear, there's something you need to know before you pass out. You're a wizard."  
  
And with that, Steven passed out. So, with him out of the picture for a second, back to my commentary. Little did Steven know that his parents had both been wizards. Little did Steven know that he was actually part of a pureblood family. Little did Steven know that Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry was located all the way across the Atlantic Ocean in Britain. Of course, Steven did know more than a little, but somehow his grandmother had done an excellent job at keeping it quite secret that he had magic in his blood.  
  
Having revived her grandson, Nana tried to explain it all to Steven while she brought him a plate of cookies and a glass of milk. "You see Steven, you come from a long line of witches and wizards."  
  
"So, you're a witch?" Steven asked.  
  
"Oh yes, dear me. It's been about ten years since I've really done much magic, about the same time I took you in."  
  
"And my parents?"  
  
"Two of the best, actually. Worked in the Ministry of Magic in Britain, both as Aurors. Oh... Aurors are witches and wizards who hunt down those who have turned bad. Those who follow a great and powerful dark wizard."  
  
"What dark wizard?" asked Steven.  
  
"Most in the magic world do not speak his name. In conversations they refer to him as He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named or You-Know-Who, but I'll tell you straight out that his name is Voldemort."  
  
"Did he...?" Steven started to ask but fell silent.  
  
"Yes, dear me. Voldemort killed your parents. They had finally tracked him down near Godric's Hollow. Your parents were some of the few Aurors who actually went and hunted down Voldemort. But even their combined might was not enough to overpower the dark lord."  
  
"What about the rest of my family?"  
  
"Oh, they're out and about, mostly working for the ministry. You know they send you presents on holidays, but they rarely visit because they know I haven't taught you magic."  
  
"And why haven't you?"  
  
"Why haven't I what? Taught you magic? Well, it seemed best after what happened to your parents. But I knew you would receive your letter. However, I didn't expect it would be from Hogwarts." Steven gave a quizzical look, so she continued. "Hogwarts is located in Britain, Steven. I assumed you would be going to the school in the US, but apparently you're still registered in Britain."  
  
This was getting to be a bit much for Steven. "Alright, so, I'm a wizard. My parents were killed by some guy named Voldemort. I'm going to be going to school in Britain. Anything else?"  
  
"No," Nana said, "that's it. Right now. You'll be going to school on the first of September. But tomorrow we'll be heading to Diagon Alley." And then a thought popped into Nana's mind. "Dear me. However am I going to get you there?"  
  
"Where is Diagon Alley?"  
  
"Oh, it's over in London."   
  
Steven's mouth fell open. "How long will we be over there?"  
  
"Just a day. But I just remembered that you don't know magic, much less how to apparate. I suppose we'll use the old floo powder. I need to search the attic, Steven. Can you look after yourself today while I get ready for tomorrow?"  
  
"Sure," Steven said, looking anxiously at the phone.  
  
"Umm, sorry, Steven. But you really shouldn't be telling anyone over here that you're a wizard; they might think you're crazy."  
  
Steven thought this to be true enough. He found himself a book and got comfortable on the couch to read it while he could hear his grandmother bump around in the attic of their one-story house. "Floo powder method?" he thought to himself. 


	2. The Return of Rosella

Visit the Steven Pront and the Mighty Mystery Resource Page at http://cullmanfirst.nazonline.com/spatmm.html.  
  
Before I begin, I'll let you know that I skip a lot of description as far as Diagon Alley goes. I figure that if you're reading my stuff, you've read (or saw) Harry Potter. So, I skipped descriptions to make this shorter.  
  
Chapter 2 - The Return of Rosella  
  
The next morning, Steven wasn't awake before his alarm clock went off. Actually, it was ten minutes later, after he had hit the snooze button, when he finally woke up. He'd spent most of yesterday and last night lost in thought about being a wizard. After having gotten ready for the day, he found himself once again in the kitchen. But today, something was different.  
  
"Nana, what are you wearing?" Steven asked, noticing that his grandmother was wearing what looked like rather old, dark green robes.  
  
"These are my witch's robes. You'll soon find that magic people do not dress the same as muggles ... I mean, non-magic people."  
  
"I don't have to wear any, do I?"  
  
"You can't wear what you don't own. But don't worry, we'll stop by Madam Malkin's and buy you some robes."  
  
"Is Madam Malkin's a store?"  
  
"Yes, Steven. In Diagon Alley."  
  
Breakfast passed by without much more conversation. After Nana had cleaned up and Steven was ready to go, they met back up in the living room by the fireplace. It was rather odd, but in the middle of summer, Nana had the fire roaring like it was mid-winter. "Now, to get to Diagon Alley we'll be going by floo powder."  
  
"And what is floo powder?" asked Steven.  
  
"Well, it's powder from the floo. Come on, you're smart enough to figure that out. Of course, it's magical powder. Now then," she said as she picked up an old pot from beside the fire place, "all you have to do is toss some powder into the fire, step into the fire, and speak very clearly where you want to go to. I'll show you first, and then I'll be right back, okay?"  
  
Steven nodded and watched his grandmother carefully. She filled her hand with some soot from the pot and threw it into the fire. The fire roared green and to his surprise, Nana walked straight into the fire saying, "Diagon Alley." And she was gone. Steven was left standing in the living room alone.  
  
But suddenly from behind him he heard, "Not so difficult."  
  
Steven let out a slight yelp of surprise as he turned to see his grandmother behind him, "How did you...?"  
  
"I apparated back. Now it's your turn. Don't forget to speak clearly - Diagon Alley."   
  
Steven put his hand into the pot, claimed his powder, and threw it into the fire. It burned bright green. With a bit of hesitation, Steven put a foot into the fire and found that it didn't burn. Putting weight onto the foot and stepping in, he said loudly, "Diagon Alley," as he heard his grandmother say, "Tuck in your elbows!"  
  
Tucking in his elbows, Steven closed his eyes as he felt himself whirring past several openings and finally being spat out of a fireplace in a street. And there before him was his grandmother. "How did you... let me guess, apparate?"  
  
"Very good, you'll make a fine wizard. Now, let's make our way to Gringott's, I need to make a withdrawal."  
  
"Gringott's?" Steven asked as he stared around the alley. The alley was filled with loads of people who looked just like his grandmother.  
  
"It's a bank for wizards and witches. I've had an account there for ... well, longer than you've been on this earth."  
  
The trip to Gringott's introduced Steven to a new creature, goblins. Nana assured him they wouldn't harm him, but they didn't look the part. After securing a cart to take down to the vault, Steven and his grandmother found themselves speeding down dark tunnels. "How big is Gringott's?" Steven asked, his hair flopping in the wind.  
  
"Too big to imagine, Steven. Just sit still until we get to the vault." And indeed, a vault it was. Now, Steven knew that his grandmother wasn't the richest lady on the earth. But that vault sure didn't support his theory. Filled wall to wall with gold, silver, and bronze coins, Nana took her purse and loaded it with an unbelievable amount of coins. It seemed that her purse would've burst if she put any more, but she did, and it didn't even bulge at the sides. "We should have plenty enough to buy your supplies and have extra."  
  
Stepping down the steps in front of Gringott's after they had made the withdrawal, Steven heard a loud voice, "Rosella, is that you?"  
  
His grandmother turned her head and met the eyes of another elderly witch in the company of a round-faced boy. "Mrs. Longbottom, how are you? It sure has been a long time."   
  
Steven knew his Nana could talk fast, but it appeared that she was going for a new world record as she tried to catch up with the other witch. Steven decided to make conversation with the boy, "Name's Steven."  
  
"Hello, I'm Neville Longbottom," the boy said shaking Steven's hand. "Going to Hogwarts?"  
  
"So my grandmother tells me."  
  
"I suppose our grandmothers must know each other. Are you from London?" Neville asked.  
  
"No, I'm not even from this continent. I'm from Alabama, in the United States."  
  
"I've never heard about that place. But why are you over here? Aren't there schools in the States?"  
  
"Nana tells me that I'm still registered over here. And she reckons that I'm better off over here anyway."  
  
Steven could here his grandmother saying good-bye so he did the same and they were soon off, continuing their journey. "Did you have a chance to speak with Neville?"  
  
"Yes, I did. He's going to Hogwarts too."  
  
"So his gran told me. Well, here we are at Madam Malkin's. I'll let you get fitted while I pick up the rest of your stuff."  
  
As Steven went in, a boy with a scar on his forehead walked out. "Harry," he heard someone calling, and he turned to see a gigantic man walking toward the boy. Steven was soon fitted for his Hogwarts robe, but Madame Malkin had nearly talked his ear off. Walking out, he found his grandmother sitting at a table across the alley. "Steven, come on over and take a load off."  
  
Steven crossed the alley and looked up at the sign that said Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlor. His grandmother always did love ice cream. "I've bought all your books, potions' stuff, telescope, and I see that you have all of your robes. Now, that leaves your wand and a pet."  
  
His grandmother looked at him, "Steven, you sure are taking all of this rather well. Not many kids could find out that they're a wizard and actually buy it."  
  
"Well, just call me gullible."  
  
His Nana smiled and they finished their ice cream. They made their way toward Ollivander's, the wand shop, and as they approached, Steven saw the same huge man that he had heard beckon the boy over an hour ago. Inside the shop, Mr. Ollivander was tidying up behind the desk. "Ah, Rosella. I wondered if I would be seeing you again. And who is this you have with you?"  
  
"My grandson, Steven. He's entering Hogwarts this year."  
  
"Well," he said as he disappeared behind a row of boxes, "what have you been up to, Rosella?"  
  
"Nothing much, Mr. Ollivander. Trying to keep Steven out of trouble," she said with a smile.  
  
"Must've taken all you had, Rose. Looks like a stout, young man you have there," he said as he reappeared. "Now then, Steven. If you would just take this wand and give it a whirl."   
  
Steven took hold of the wand. He sorta looked at it for a second, not really believing what was going on, and then gave it a quick swish through the air. A row of boxes caught on fire behind the desk. Mr. Ollivander put the fire out quickly and returned with another wand. This time, Steven knocked off a globe by the window. "No, not quite," he heard Ollivander say. This happened a couple more times and then Mr. Ollivander finally returned with a look of triumph. "Try this one, Mr. Pront."  
  
Steven took the wand and his stomach filled with butterflies. Giving it a cursory look, he gave it a flip and a sudden gust filled the shop. "There we go, Rosella. Well done, Steven. Shall I wrap it up for you?"  
  
"Please do, Mr. Ollivander." After thanking the kind old man, Steven and Rosella left the shop.   
  
"You sure are well known, Nana."  
  
Rosella gave a scoff, "Pay it no mind, Steven."  
  
That response didn't seem at all to be like his grandmother, but Steven just trotted happily along, not giving it another thought. "Now Steven, which animal would you like to take along with you?"  
  
He hadn't actually thought of that before. He knew the choices - owl, cat, or toad - but never thought about it. "An owl, I suppose. Didn't the letter say to send a response back by owl?"  
  
"That it did. And I haven't had an owl in years. Well then, let's try over here."  
  
Steven and Rosella left Eeylops Owl Emporium ten minutes later with a beautiful barn owl. "He'll fit in nicely back home, won't he?"  
  
"Indeed he will," his grandmother said. "Well, I suppose we're done here. Anything else you'd like to look at?"  
  
"No, I'm pretty tired. How long have we been here?"  
  
"About..." but Rosella never got to answer as she caught sight of a rather menacing man approaching. "Hello, Lucius. Imagine seeing you here."  
  
"Rosella," the man said. He had long, white hair and a rather smug look, "what brings you back to this continent?"  
  
"My young grandson here is going to Hogwarts this year. Buying supplies you know?"  
  
"Ah, that's right. Steven's parents are no longer with him, leaving you to raise him. How very ... interesting."  
  
"Thank you, Lucius. For bringing back those memories. Now if you'll please step aside, we're done here."  
  
"I think not, Rosella. I'd hoped I'd see you here today, I have a bone to pick."  
  
"Pick away, Lucius," Rosella said, fire in her eyes. She sat her stuff down on a nearby bench and Steven followed suit.   
  
In a flurry of Lucius' robes, out came a wand and Steven couldn't hear what was muttered. But an eerie light burst from the man's wand and shot straight at his grandmother. Unarmed, but still formidable, Rosella muttered something under her breath and threw her hands forward, blocking the light and sending it back at Lucius.  
  
Dodging the light by jumping onto the ground, the man got up sneering, "You've grown strong, Rosella."  
  
"And you've grown more stupid, Lucius. If one would've thought that possible," she spat at him and picked up her packages. And they were soon back at the fireplace.   
  
"Who was that, Nana?" Steven asked.  
  
"A very stupid man who thinks he's the greatest wizard ever."  
  
"Ah."  
  
"Let's go, Steven. I'm very tired." They traveled back through the fireplace and Steven began going through his things. 


	3. Jasper

Visit the Steven Pront and the Mighty Mystery Resource Page at http://cullmanfirst.nazonline.com/spatmm.html.  
  
Chapter 3 - Jasper  
  
Back in the familiar living room of their house, Rosella and her grandson Steven began to pilfer through the oddities that had been purchased at Diagon Alley. "Well," Rosella said, picking up a large bundle, "here are your books. You might want to give them a look before you start school."  
  
Steven opened up the package and there sat nine books. "I thought I only had eight required books."   
  
"Oh, that other one is mine. I need to brush up on my magic. Go ahead and take the rest up to your room and then we'll go through the rest." Steven picked up the large stacks of books and strained under the weight. He made his way slowly to his room while Rosella picked up the remaining book and read its title "Advanced Magical Charms, Potions, Hexes, and Transfigurations by Albus Dumbledore." Sliding the book into a nearby drawer, Rosella heard her grandson running back down the hall.   
  
Ignoring the rest of the parcels, Steven plopped down onto the floor right in front of the owl's cage. The barn owl started hooting excitedly as it turned in its cage and spread its wings, obviously showing off. Steven now noticed something he hadn't before, "Nana, this owl has a green beak."  
  
"Does it now," she said as she got off the couch and settled onto the floor next to her grandson. "Someone must've been having fun in Eeylops while they were looking around. Want me to fix it?"  
  
Steven looked at the green beak and then into the owl's eyes. "What'd'ya think? Should she fix it?"  
  
As if in response, the owl turned its back on the two sitting in front of the cage. "I'm fairly sure that's a no, Steven. So, what are you going to name her?"  
  
"It's a girl," he said, more as a statement than a question. "Well, I'll name her Jasper, after her nose."  
  
"Excellent name. Do you like that name, Jasper?" Rosella asked the owl. And once again, as if in response, the owl turned back around and gave a rather cheerful hoot and cocked its head sideways. "Another yes. Well, why don't you try out your new quill and ink by responding to Professor McGonagall's letter."  
  
Steven rushed over to the packages, pulled out a small bottle and a feather, sat down at the kitchen table, and then looked up, dumbfounded. "What should I write?"  
  
Rosella got up out of the floor and brought Jasper's cage over to the table. "Tell her that you will be attending Hogwarts on schedule, that you have your supplies, to meet your new owl Jasper, and that your grandmother would like to have a cup of tea with an old friend at her request."  
  
"You know my professor?" Steven said with a shock.  
  
"Yes, I know Minerva. We go way back, back to our own school days. Good friends. Anyway, tell her that and I'll show you how to send Jasper with mail."  
  
After finishing his letter, he handed it to his grandmother. Taking the letter, Rosella opened up the cage and allowed Jasper to waddle out of the cage. Rolling up the letter and tying it around Jasper's leg with string that seemed to come from nowhere, she spoke to the owl, "Take this to Professor McGonagall at Hogwarts School. It's a long flight, so no hurry. All right, Jasper?" Jasper hooted excitedly at her first job and flew to the windowsill. "Steven, why don't you let her out."  
  
Steven walked over to the window and noticed that it was dark outside. He opened the window and Jasper took flight. "Close it?" he asked.  
  
"Yes, it'll be a few days before she returns. While she's gone, we can try out your new wand."  
  
Excited, Steven looked around on the floor and found the box containing his wand. "What are you going to teach me?"  
  
"Well, it's late, so how about one simple spell before bed?" She paused, as if Steven might offer anything but a yes. She continued, "Now, let me just find my old wand."  
  
Rosella got up and closed her eyes. "Let's see, it wasn't in the attic yesterday, so it has to be ... somewhere. I've got it. Accio wand!" From out of the bin by the fireplace, a wand popped and flew into Rosella's hand.   
  
"Can I learn how to do that?" Steven asked hopefully.  
  
"Oh no, that's rather advanced, even with a wand. Now, do just as I do. Hold you wand straight out in front of you. Concentrate very hard because you are about to make your wand into a flashlight. Concentrate." Steven was in a very rigid stance, holding his wand as though there were a huge spider on it. "Now, say Lumos!"  
  
Rosella's wand shot a light out of the end of it and Steven's eyes grew wide. "Lumos!" he said. At first, nothing happened, then a dim light sputtered out of the front of his wand, and then died.   
  
"You've got to have feeling, Steven. And you have to believe it. Your wand will only work if you trust it. Now, Lumos!" And somehow, his grandmother's light grew brighter.  
  
"Lumos!" Steven shouted. This time, the light came out immediately. For a few moments, it flickered, as though it were a flashlight with a failing battery or loose connection. But then, Steven said lumos again and the beam steadied.   
  
"Very good. Now, all you have to do to turn it off is to say Nox!" And Rosella's wand went out.  
  
"Nox!" Steven said, and his wand did the same.   
  
The two practiced the spell a few times and by bedtime, Steven had mastered his first spell. Happily trotting to his bedroom with his wand aglow, leading the way, Steven slipped into bed, yelled "Nox!," and had a very restful night. 


	4. Summer's End

Visit the Steven Pront and the Mighty Mystery Resource Page at http://cullmanfirst.nazonline.com/spatmm.html.  
  
Chapter 4 - Summer's End  
  
For the rest of the summer, Steven had his nose buried in his books. He also found out that his grandmother had quite a supply of books herself, and he often borrowed a few to help understand the magical world. He read Hogwart's, A History, The World Without Muggles, The World With Muggles, and An Inside Look at the Ministry of Magic. These books, along with his assigned books for Hogwarts, took up the rest of his summer.  
  
But Steven liked reading; he never really watched television. If he were bored enough, he would turn on the radio. So, spending summer reading books was fine with him.   
  
The magic lessons with his grandmother also continued. He learned lumos, of course, and how to shoot different colored sparks out of his wands. "It's all got to do with how you think," Rosella had said. "It's not verbal. It's just think and shoot." It had taken Steven longer to master the sparks than the other spells. He just didn't have much confidence yet, but he soon caught on.  
  
Then one day during the last week of summer, he finally asked his grandmother the question she wished he wouldn't. "Who really was that man in Diagon Alley?"  
  
She gave him a stern look and then began to explain. "Well, you know your parents were Aurors. But you never questioned where they got it from. Your mother followed in my footsteps in trying to defeat the dark arts. When she got a job in the ministry, she met your dad and they got married. Well, about the time they had you, Voldemort came into full power. They needed someone to keep you, so I retired from my job. It almost as much out of fear of finding Voldemort as it was to being able to spend time with you."  
  
She paused to look out the window and then continued. "Well, your parents were working closely with Lily and James Potter on the Voldemort thing. Lily and James left the ministry for a short time to get their affairs in order. Right before they got back, your parents received an owl from the Potters saying that Voldemort was hunting them down and that they needed your parents' help. Your parents knew where the Potters were, at Godric's Hollow. They apparated there immediately and came face to face with the dark lord himself."  
  
Rosella paused for a second time, this time much longer. When she began, there was a slight quiver in her voice. "Your father got off a few quick spells while Voldemort was caught off-guard. But then the dark lord got back to his feet and hit your mother with a horrible curse, an unforgivable curse, the Cruciatus curse. This curse makes the one afflicted with it suffer horrible pain. Your mother was unfamiliar with it and didn't know how to fight it. As she suffered, squirming on the ground, Voldemort used another curse against your father, another unforgivable curse, the Imperius curse. With this curse, Voldemort gained full control of your father."  
  
At this point, Rosella broke down in tears and Steven said, "You can stop, I can tell it hurts."  
  
"No, Steven," she said, putting off the tears, "You need to hear this. You need to know that in this world there are bad wizards and witches. You need to know what happened before you get to Hogwarts." She paused for a short time to regain her bearings, and then continued. "Now then, with your father under his control, Voldemort made him do a most horrid thing. He made your father ... he made your father kill your mother."  
  
"As your mother was squirming on the ground, your father used the last unforgivable curse, the Killing curse. With your mother dead, Voldemort used the Killing curse on your father and went on to slay Lily and James Potter."  
  
"I can't believe this," Steven said, tearing up.  
  
"There will be time to mourn your parents again, but now let me finish," Rosella said coldly. "This next part has gone down in magic history. With the Potters out of the way, Voldemort turned to make his last kill. The Potters had a son, just about the same age as you. And he was with them when Voldemort killed them. Voldemort tried to kill Harry Potter, but something went right (not wrong). Lily Potter had sacrificed herself to save Harry, and when she did that, Harry gained something that helped him fight off Voldemort. When Voldemort cursed him, it reflected off of Harry's forehead, leaving a lightning shaped scar. When the curse hit Voldemort, all of his power disappeared and his body was no longer good to him. Ever since then, he's been living in dark forests and foreign countries, trying to regain power."  
  
"I'm telling you this, Steven, so you can know how bad wizards can turn. Watch yourself at Hogwarts, because you can make enemies there."  
  
"And is that who that man was, Nana? Did you meet him at Hogwarts?" Steven asked.  
  
"I did know Lucius Malfoy, that's his name, at Hogwarts. But we weren't enemies then. See, once I found out your parents had gone, I went to search for them. I left you in your grandfather's care, Lord rest his soul, and found myself at Godric's Hollow minutes after the mayhem. There I met Sirius Black and Rubeus Hagrid. Sirius left immediately and Hagrid left with Harry in tow, taking him to Dumbledore. That left me, alone at the Hollow. The last thing I expected was someone else to turn up."  
  
"And that someone was Lucius, wasn't it?" Steven said.  
  
"Indeed it was. Lucius was a Death Eater, Steven. He's a bad man, very bad. Since then, he was somehow cleared of following Voldemort. But I was the one to turn him in. It was a horrid battle, one that I still pay for," she said, tapping her arm, which bothered her with "arthritis." "But somehow he escaped his punishment and has held a grudge against me ever since. Now, do be careful at Hogwarts."  
  
"Yes, Nana," Steven said obediently. He went upstairs to pack, because tomorrow he would be leaving for school. 


	5. Hogwarts, Express and All

Visit the Steven Pront and the Mighty Mystery Resource Page at http://cullmanfirst.nazonline.com/spatmm.html.  
  
Chapter 5 - Hogwarts, Express and All  
  
On the first of September, Steven woke to a very rainy day. Once again, he went through his usual morning routine and joined his grandmother in the kitchen for breakfast. "We really are going to have to teach you how to apparate. I've been trying to figure out how to get you to King's Cross all morning."  
  
Steven remained silent. This was a big day. Today he would be leaving his home for Hogwarts. 'King's Cross,' he thought to himself, 'must be a way to get to the school.'  
  
After breakfast was over, Rosella made sure Steven had all of his things packed away properly and then called him to the fireplace. "I contacted Mr. and Mrs. Patil a moment ago, they said that they would be happy to help us get to the train. We'll be going to their house via Floo powder. You'll need to say 'Patil House.' I'll take care of your things and I'll be getting there differently."  
  
The fire was burning brightly as Steven grabbed some powder, threw it into the flames, and stepped into the fireplace. "Patil House!" Steven yelled. He was painfully reminded to pull in his elbows as he scraped by a fireplace en route. He fell out of the Patil's fireplace and thought he was hallucinating; he was seeing doubles.   
  
"Hi," said one of the figures, smiling. "I'm Parvati Patil."  
  
"And I'm Padma Patil," the other said as the two helped him off of the floor.   
  
"Our parents are waiting outside by the car with your grandmother," Parvati said.  
  
"They said we should come get you," Padma continued.  
  
"Are you ready to go?" the other twin asked.  
  
Only managing a nod, the twins helped him find his way out of the house. Parked outside was a silver BMW. His grandmother was there to greet him with a smile, "I see you've met the Patil twins. Mind your manners did you?"  
  
Always an advocate of Southern hospitality, Rosella made sure Steven acted the perfect gentleman in all public appearances. The six of them, Steven, Padma, Parvati, Rosella, Mr. Patil, and Mrs. Patil crowded into the BMW. The car turned out to be not as crowded as it seemed as it had been magically expanded to accommodate the Patil's guests.  
  
During the ride through the British countryside, Steven sat drawing in everything. According to his Nana, Steven's parents, as well as most of the family, had grown up in and around London. How he and Rosella ended up in Alabama was a mystery to him, but he had never considered asking. Before he knew it, they had left the country and were surrounded by urban London.   
  
As Steven's eyes were darting around, he heard giggling beside him from the Patil twins. Taking a glance, his suspicions were confirmed when he met their eyes. They immediately covered their eyes with their hands and giggled uncontrollably. Steven took no notice and placed his focus out the window once again and noticed that they had stopped.  
  
The doors opened as Mr. Patil ushered the kids out of the back seat. "Come on now, Steven. Don't want to be late."  
  
Steven looked at his watch and noticed that it was ten till eleven. "What time does the train leave, Mr. Patil?"  
  
"Eleven o'clock sharp, Steven. It always leaves on time and it doesn't wait for stragglers," he said, with a fleeting smile, like he had learned this the hard way at one point in life.  
  
The six of them unloaded the car and made their way into the train station. Steven had never been in an actual train station before. He had visited train stations that were now historical landmarks in the States, but never a working station. As he walked through the station, be began counting off the numbers ... 4, 5, 6... and then he noticed. "Nana, I don't understand..."  
  
But she cut him off, "Don't worry, you will." So, they continued walking through the station and stopped halfway down platform nine.  
  
Mr. Patil bowed jokingly with a smile to Rosella, "You first, dear."  
  
"How about you first, Bart? Steven's never been on the platform before and I haven't explained it either," replied Rosella.  
  
"Sure thing. Alright girls, remember what I said," and the Patils began to sprint across the platform. They ran straight into a wall and Steven averted his eyes at the last moment.  
  
His grandmother grabbed his shoulder, "There now, understand?"  
  
He opened his eyes and the Patils were gone, "Umm, no. Where did they go?"  
  
"You didn't watch? Oh, what a shame. I should've told you. Alright. Platform nine and three quarters is located on the other side of that wall there, the one the Patils ran through. For your first time it's best to take it at a run."  
  
'Through the wall?' Steven thought to himself. "Sure," he said. And the two took off across the platform, straight for the wall. As soon as he was about to hit, he closed his eyes and kept running. But sure enough, Nana was right and when they stopped and Steven opened his eyes he couldn't see King's Cross anymore. He did, however, see a very majestic train sitting right in front of him.  
  
"Alright Steven, this is where I leave you. Good luck at Hogwarts and don't forget to write to me," Rosella said as she kissed his cheek and hugged him.  
  
"Yes, Nana. I will," he responded as he hugged and kissed her good-bye. He loaded his things on the train and found an empty compartment on the train. Apparently, most of the kids would be arriving right on time.  
  
But he wasn't alone for long. He was soon joined by Parvati and then Padma. "Thought we'd keep you company on the ride there."  
  
Steven wasn't sure which twin said it, but the other one asked, "So, do you live in London?"  
  
"Actually, no. I live in the United States."  
  
This drew a quizzical look. "Then why are you going to Hogwarts?"  
  
"Grandmother says that I'm still registered with the Europe Ministry."  
  
The Patils lifted their eyebrows. "By any chance, what is your grandmother's name."  
  
"Rosella, why?"  
  
"Just wondering."  
  
"We thought she looked familiar."  
  
"And does she look familiar?" asked Steven.  
  
"We'll tell you later."  
  
"I suppose you'd like to watch the scenery again?" said the other twin.  
  
"No, not really. I'd actually kinda like to catch up on all of this wizarding stuff that I've missed out on all these years. My grandmother didn't tell me until this summer."  
  
And so, Steven and the Patil twins discussed the major high points in the recent history of magic and what it's like to grow up in a 'normal' wizarding family. 


	6. The Sorting Ceremony

Visit the Steven Pront and the Mighty Mystery Resource Page at http://cullmanfirst.nazonline.com/spatmm.html.  
  
I used some of JKR's writing here. I acknowledge this, so, don't sue me. Heheh, Megan, you'll enjoy this.  
  
Chapter 6 - The Sorting Ceremony  
  
The Hogwarts Express finally stopped at a station somewhat late into the evening. "This is Hogsmeade Station," Parvati said.   
  
"When we're third years we'll be able to visit the town on certain weekends," added Padma.   
  
The three exited the train with the rest of the students and Steven saw that he was one in a very student body. "Firs' years! Firs' years over here!" Steven heard a deep voice bellow. Looking in that direction, he saw the biggest guy he had ever seen holding a lamp. "Jus' leave your belongin's on the train. They'll be picked up for ya."  
  
Following this behemoth and sticking close to the twins, the first years made their way down to a lake. "No more'n four to a boat!" Steven and the twins piled into a boat, followed closely by one other girl.  
  
Before they could introduce themselves, the boats had all been loaded and lurched quickly forward as they were mysteriously propelled across the lake. "Hello," Steven said extending his hand to the unknown guest, "I'm Steven Pront."  
  
"You're not from London are you," the unknown girl said. Steven shook his head and she continued, "I didn't think so. Could tell by your accent. I'm Megan, Megan Dulz."  
  
The four discussed their background quickly as the castle loomed overhead and they found themselves in an underground harbor. The large man beckoned them out of the boats and the students gathered in front of a large door. He knocked three times and the door creaked open, revealing a woman, about the same age as Steven's grandmother.  
  
The man and woman exchanged a few words and it seemed as though the woman took over and led the students down a hallway to a large room.  
  
"Welcome to Hogwarts. I am Professor McGonagall, just one of the many professors here," said the woman. "The start-of-term banquet will begin shortly, but before you take your seats in the Great Hall, you will be sorted into your houses. The Sorting Ceremony is a very important ceremony because, while you are here, your house will be something like your family within Hogwarts. You will have classes with the rest of your house, sleep in your house dormitory, and spend free time in your house common room.  
  
"The four houses are called Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin. Each house has its own noble history and each has produced outstanding witches and wizards. While you are at Hogwarts, your triumphs will earn your house points, while any rule breaking will lose house points. At the end of the year, the house with the most points is awarded the house cup, a great honor. I hope each of you will be a credit to whichever house becomes yours.  
  
"The Sorting Ceremony will take place in a few minutes in front of the rest of the school. I suggest you all smarten yourselves up as much as you can while you are waiting."  
  
"I shall return when we are ready for you," said Professor McGonagall. "Please wait quietly."  
  
Steven turned to his three girl friends, "Any idea on how they sort us?" Each of the three shook their heads no. "Well, let's hope it's not anything too bad."  
  
But right about then, something "too bad" happened. At least to Steven it seemed that way. Because, the wall that he was facing, the wall behind the twins and Megan, seemed to come alive. In fact, something alive seemed to come out of it. And all of a sudden, the first years were surrounded by about twenty ghosts. Steven could tell they were conversing, a few took notice of the students. But none of the ghosts took a particular interest in Steven and his group.  
  
That is, at least, until one female ghost zoomed over to them and said, "Well now, looks to me like we have a good group of Ravenclaws here. See you soon." And she zoomed off.   
  
"Parvati," Padma said, "which ghost was that?"  
  
Parvati turned around, "Huh? I wasn't paying attention. I think I saw Harry Potter over there."  
  
Megan spoke up, "That was the Ravenclaw House ghost, the Grey Lady."  
  
Steven just drew this knowledge in as he saw the door open and Professor McGonagall come back in. "Move along now. The Sorting Ceremony's about to start. Now, form a line," Professor McGonagall told the first years, "and follow me."  
  
She led the students into a very large room where the rest of the students were seated at four long tables. They followed her up to the very front of the room, where Steven could see that the other professors sat. He could see the large man that had led them across the lake. Professor McGonagall took a stool and a hat and looked at the first years with a quick smile as the hat came alive and began the hum a little tune.  
  
Steven listened sharply to the tune, drawing all the information in, ignoring the fact that a hat was talking. He heard the four names, and paid particular attention to the name Ravenclaw. When it had finished, Professor McGonagall instructed them that she would call their names, they would come forward, put on the hat, and be sorted.   
  
This seemed all right to Steven, who was taking this all rather well for someone who hadn't been around much magic. However, he could see most of the other students were very nervous. One by one, McGonagall called the students in alphabetical order and placed the hat on their head. The hat usually took just a few moments to sort any certain student. However, when it got to Neville Longbottom, it took its time. It seemed to make up for this on a student named Draco Malfoy.   
  
But then a hush came over the gathered as McGonagall called out, "Potter, Harry." Steven knew the story behind him and watched along with the others as he tried on the hat. Once again, it took the hat a long time to place Harry. It seemed as though the two were carrying on a conversation. But finally, the hat bellowed "Gryffindor!" and the chamber erupted with applause.  
  
No one took any notice as the professor called out, "Pront, Steven," and he made his way to the stool and sat down. No one, except for a rather small teacher seated at the table who hushed the group around him and pointed them at the boy.   
  
The hat was placed on his head and he suddenly heard a voice, "Ah, Steven Pront. You're not as well known as Potter there. But there are those here who hold you to just as high a degree. Of course, we all know where you belong. And Rosella would agree." This all seemed to be inside his head until he heard the voice speak rather loudly, "Ravenclaw!"  
  
The tiny professor clapped and McGonagall took the hat back. The crowd still seemed to be talking about Harry Potter as Steven took his seat at the Ravenclaw table in between Padma Patil and Megan Dulz. "Where's Parvati?"  
  
"She's in Gryffindor," her sister said, "lucky girl. Gets to be in the same house as Harry Potter."  
  
After the sorting ceremony was over and the hat and stool had been taken away, the old man seated in the middle of the teachers rose to speak. "Welcome," he said. "Welcome to a new year at Hogwarts! Before we begin our banquet, I would like to say a few words. And here they are: Nitwit! Blubber! Oddment! Tweak! Thank you!"  
  
Steven was quite confused but thought that this man was quite funny. He clapped along with the other students as he asked Megan who he was. "That's the headmaster, Albus Dumbledore. Great man."  
  
As Headmaster Dumbledore sat down, Steven looked in front of him and noticed that the empty plates were now full. "Whoa!" he exclaimed in unison with the other first years across the room. 


	7. The Littlest Professor

Visit the Steven Pront and the Mighty Mystery Resource Page at http://cullmanfirst.nazonline.com/spatmm.html.  
  
This is where I start to take creative license since we don't know much of Ravenclaw. Any comments on the schedule would be appreciated. Expect a lot of revisions on this chapter as well.  
  
Chapter 7 - The Littlest Professor  
  
After the grand feast, Steven and the rest of the Ravenclaw house were led to the Ravenclaw common room. Once inside, the formal introductions began. A fifth year female student stood on a table to address the group, "I am Penelope Clearwater and I am the Ravenclaw prefect. For second years and up, everything is just as it was last year, you may retire at this time; unless you'd rather listen to what the first years listen to."  
  
All of the second through seventh year students filed down two separate hallways, one for guys and one for girls, as Steven noticed. That is, until one male student thought it would be cute to sneak down the girls hall. "Ben Trent!" Penelope yelled. "Don't make me come over there." The boy ran to the other hallway and Penelope straightened herself, "Welcome to Ravenclaw first years, we are glad to have you. Just to go over some basics, dorms are down each of these halls, right for the guys, left for the ladies. You'll find your stuff is already in your spot when you retire. As far as school goes, you'll receive your schedules in just a moment from our head of house, Professor Flitwick. Our house colors are blue and bronze and our symbol," she said as she pointed to a banner above her head, "is the eagle. We are the house of intellect and we exhibit our prowess in the classroom. Although, that may not always be the case, so don't feel bad if you don't. The sorting hat sees more than even the professors can, isn't that right, professor?"  
  
A tiny, tiny man walked into the common room, the same one from the professors' table that had taken an interest in Steven. "Right you are, Mrs. Clearwater," he said in a squeaky, high voice, "right you are. Now then, first years, gather `round, I have your schedules." He jumped up onto the table by Penelope and began to call out the schedule.   
  
"Let's cover food first, shall we? In the morning we have breakfast, midday we have lunch, and in the evening we have dinner. Should you require a snack, venture to the kitchen. I believe that covers that. Now then," he said, continuing, "the first year, Ravenclaw schedule is as follows."  
  
"On Mondays you will have Introduction to Magical Studies in the morning with myself in the common room and Charms with Slytherin first years in the evening with myself in my classroom."  
  
"On Tuesdays you will have Potions with Hufflepuff in the morning with Professor Snape and Defense Against the Dark Arts with Gryffindor in the evening with Professor Quirrell."  
  
"On Wednesdays you will have Transfigurations with Hufflepuff in the morning with Professor McGonagall and Astrology with Gryffindor at midnight with Professor Sinistra."  
  
"On Thursdays you will have Herbology with Slytherin in the morning with Professor Sprout and History of Magic with Hufflepuff in the evening with Professor Binns."  
  
"And on Friday you will have an extra class time with one of those I just mentioned. We refer to this class as doubles because you will spend twice as much time in this class as you would normally. Professors use this class for large projects and such."  
  
"Well, that's all for tonight. See you in the morning at breakfast," Flitwick said as he jumped off the table and ran out the door of the common room.  
  
"See you all," Penelope started, then remembered something, "Ah yes, some of you didn't see the entrance on the way in, but most common rooms are protected by pictures. Ours is protected by Mr. Triana. The password changes on a weekly basis. This week's password is 'Garfunkle.' Well, good night and see you at breakfast."  
  
Steven crowded down the hallway with three other guys towards the male dorms. Once in the first year dorm, he got to meet his fellow fellows.   
  
"Frederick Glick," said a rather short, lumpy boy. "I live just a kilometer from King's Cross."  
  
"Victor Brent," said a tall and skinny boy in the corner. "I'm from Surrey."  
  
"Terry Boot," said the remaining average boy. "I don't really know what part I'm from. We don't visit Muggles much."  
  
The three of them looked at Steven and he took his cue. "Oh, I'm Steven Pront. I'm from America." The three boys eyes went wide and they looked at each other.  
  
"Well, glad to have you over," Arthur said.   
  
"I'm beat. I vote we crash before it gets to late to enjoy breakfast in the morning," said Victor.  
  
"Don't you mean 'retire,'" Frederick said in a mocking tone, resembling Penelope.  
  
Steven and his newfound friends looked around the room and found that their belongings had been brought up. Over by the end bed, Steven found Jasper. "Hi Jasper." The owl looked at Steven and hooted, then tucked her head under her wing and went to sleep.  
  
"Is that your owl," Frederick asked as he took up the bed beside Steven.   
  
"Yes. Her name's Japer, she's a barn owl," Steven replied.  
  
"I brought a cat. I hope the two get along okay," Fred said as he pulled a cage from beside the nightstand, set it on the bed, and opened it. A gray-haired tomcat purred its way out of the cage and sat licking its paw on the corner of the bed. "His name's Tom."  
  
Steven walked over and stuck his hand out to Tom to let him sniff it. Tom looked at the hand, sniffed it, and then playfully swatted at it. "I hope that means he likes me," Steven said jokingly, as he petted Tom on the head. "I'll let you get to know Jasper tomorrow. She seems to be tired from the ride."  
  
Steven looked around and saw that Terry was already asleep and Victor was making his way over to talk to them. The three boys spent about half an hour talking about their backgrounds and joking around before they finally drifted asleep. 


	8. The First Day

Visit the Steven Pront and the Mighty Mystery Resource Page at http://cullmanfirst.nazonline.com/spatmm.html.  
  
Chapter 8 - The First Day  
  
Morning came and Steven and his four friends quickly got ready and met up with the other Ravenclaw first years in the common room. Penelope came out of the girls hallway and led the first years back to the Great Hall. On the way there, Steven met back up with Megan and Padma. "How was your first night's sleep, Steven," asked Padma.  
  
"Alright," he said, "and yours?"  
  
"Just fine."  
  
"How many first year girls are there, Megan?" Steven asked.  
  
"There are two others, besides Padma and myself. Mandy Brocklehurst and Lisa ... Lisa ... oh, what's her last name, Padma?"  
  
"Turpin. Lisa Turpin. How about boys, Steven?"  
  
"Well, there's myself and then Terry Boots, Victor Brent, and Frederick Glick."  
  
By the time the three of them has discussed the dynamics of the Ravenclaw first years, Penelope had successfully guided them to the Great Hall by only getting lost once. She had another prefect with red hair guide her in the correct direction. "Now, after breakfast, you all head back to the common room for Introduction to Magical Studies with Professor Flitwick, okay?" she said before she sat down by the other prefect.  
  
The first years acknowledged this and went on about breakfast. On one side of the table sat the four boys, on the other sat the four girls. They all introduced themselves and made small talk until everyone started leaving breakfast for their first class. "Well, I suppose we should head back to the common room," said Megan.  
  
The eight of them were able to get back to the common room without getting lost, which seemed weird because the prefect couldn't accomplish it. They entered the common room expecting to find Professor Flitwick waiting on them, but he wasn't there. "I'm going to get some parchment and my quill to take notes," said Victor.  
  
The eight of them left the common room to get supplies and when they returned they did find the professor waiting on them. "Welcome to your first class at Hogwarts," he started. "It's my pleasure to be able to instruct eight fine students. Now, let's get to it. This course is called Introduction to Magical Studies. What we'll be doing in this class is making sure you are progressing through your other classes as you should be. You can usually work on homework in here with my help. But for the first few weeks we'll be getting you used to Hogwarts and its professors."  
  
As Flitwick said this he pulled out his wand, "Now, then, I am Professor Flitwick. Head of Ravenclaw house and Charms instructor." He flicked his wand in the direction of the corner and out floated a picture. "This is our Headmaster, Professor Dumbledore..." and Flitwick went on and on introducing them to the various professors by paintings of them.   
  
Megan and Victor took multiple notes, but the rest of them just seemed to sit there and absorb the information. "Well, that's all for today," Flitwick concluded in his high voice. "Next week we'll take a trip around the school grounds to familiarize you with them. This week, however, I will guide you to your classrooms the first time and you should be able to find them the next."  
  
Flitwick dismissed them to lunch and then he led them to his own classroom a bit before class time. "This is my classroom where you will be taking Charms." He showed them all the nooks and crannies where he kept his various instructional tools and said, "If you ever need a place to study or what-not throughout the day, feel free to stop by. I'll usually be here or in my office if you need me."  
  
At this point, Slytherin first years started to arrive, guided by their head of house Professor Snape. "Hello Flitwick."  
  
"Ah, Severus. I have that Charm you were wondering about," the tiny professor said as he hurried over to his cluttered desk, picked up a piece of parchment, and handed it to Snape.   
  
"Thank you," he said to his fellow professor then spoke up to the Slytherins. "This is Professor Flitwick, your Charms professor. Show him the same respect you would show me."   
  
He then squatted down to the small professor but Steven couldn't hear what he said. Snape then left and the class began. As Flitwick went over the basics to Charms, Steven looked over the Slytherin crowd. There were twelve of them. Most of them looked rather melancholy, or just plain outright mad. But there was one rather pretty girl seated on the end who caught Steven's eye. She didn't look mad, or even glum; she even had a smile on her face. She was paying absolute attention to the professor and didn't even cast a glance when Steven "accidentally" dropped his wand.   
  
"Now then," squeaked Flitwick, "I would like everyone to prepare for your first test." Steven's heart dropped. It wasn't that he wasn't paying attention, it's just that he hadn't caught what could possibly be a test. "Everyone pull out your wands so I may take notice of them. And yes, I was joking. This is not a test."   
  
Flitwick went over the Slytherin wands first, ending with the girl that Steven had been trying to get to pay attention to him. "Ah, very nice wand, Brittney. Looks to be very good for Charms. Now, over to the Ravenclaws." And Flitwick gave a look at each of his house's wands. He stopped with Steven, "Oh my, Mr. Pront, what a wonderful wand," he said, taking Steven's wand. "This looks to be an excellent Charms wand, with a bit of good Transfiguration power too, I might add. I look forward to teaching you."  
  
As the light outside began to diminish, the professor called the class to a close and allowed the students to return to the Great Hall for dinner. Trailing closely behind the last Slytherin, Steven kept an eye out for Brittney. Frederick walked beside him. Steven asked, "I thought all Slytherins were supposed to be mean, cruel, and downright mad?"  
  
"Well," Frederick said, "most of them are. Did you see that one boy, Malfoy? Seems like he could kill Flitwick just by looking at him."  
  
"What about the girl on the end? She didn't seem to be angry."  
  
"Oh, I saw her. Very pretty. Maybe she was sorted into Slytherin because she wants to prove herself," Frederick suggested.  
  
That sorta slowed Steven. It answered his question of why she was different. 


	9. Classes Just Keep Rolling Along

Visit the Steven Pront and the Mighty Mystery Resource Page at http://cullmanfirst.nazonline.com/spatmm.html.  
  
Chapter 9 - Classes Just Keep Rolling Along  
  
Monday had come and gone, but Tuesday was just around the corner. After going to breakfast, Flitwick led the first years to Professor Snape's class for their first Potions class. Not long after they had arrived did Hufflepuff first years show up too. Snape wasted no time.  
  
"This is Potions. This is not Charms nor Transfigurations. You can all but put your wands away for the time you will be spending in here. Potions is an exact science and beautiful art. However, I have no doubt that Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw share these views. I expect no problems in this class. If I do," he said narrowing his eyes, "I can assure you that Professor Sprout, Professor Flitwick, and myself are very close friends indeed."  
  
"Now then, I trust that you all brought your Potions supplies. Today we will be going over Potions basics, such as measuring and cutting and brewing. In a few weeks time this class will be ready to take on advanced potions."  
  
The Potions class went by fairly easy and Snape gave them a fair amount of homework, but after Steven had given it a cursory look it seemed like it would go quickly. After they had finished lunch, Flitwick approached the table and took them off to Professor Quirrel's classroom.   
  
Flitwick left them when Gryffindor began to arrive and Steven noticed an excited chatter from the Ravenclaw girls when a boy with rather untidy black hair walked in. Terry whispered to him, "That's Harry Potter, can't really ..."  
  
But Terry didn't finish because Professor Quirrell walked into the classroom talking to himself. He noticed the class was there and started trying to welcome them. It came out rather differently. "W-w-w-welcome to Def-f-f-fense Against the Dark Arrrrts. I ammm Professsssor Q-q-quirrell."  
  
Fred sighed and opened up his book to pacify his mind while Terry was absorbed by Quirrell's words. "Now, today we'll be discussing what the d-d-d-dark arts are." Steven tried to take notes, but couldn't really understand what was really said.   
  
At the end of the excruciatingly long class, Quirrell apologized, "I'm dreadfully s-s-sorry about my speech imp-p-pediment. It should be better by next w-w-w-week."  
  
Steven and Fred left the class chuckling while Terry was trying to tell them how improper that was. The two laughed it off and went to the Great Hall for dinner.  
  
The day had ended and Steven was starting to wonder when he would get around to doing his homework when Victor answered that for him. "You know, tomorrow we have Astronomy. That's at midnight, isn't it?"  
  
Steven looked at the piece of parchment that Flitwick had posted on the wall as a reminder, "Yes, that's right."  
  
Victor continued, "I guess we'll have some time tomorrow afternoon to goof off."  
  
"Or to do homework," Steven advised. "I think we'll have to visit the library to finish the Potions work."  
  
The four of them quickly went to sleep, dreading the long day approaching.   
  
After breakfast, Flitwick led them to Transfiguration. "I'm sure you all know Professor McGonagall from your first night here," Flitwick squeaked, looking at the cat on the desk. "If you'll all take your seats, I'm sure she'll show up not soon after Hufflepuff arrives."  
  
They all took their seat and chatted among themselves about how they had all noticed that Flitwick liked them to be at class early. "Well, we are Ravenclaws. I think we're supposed to excel in the classroom, like Penelope said," Megan stated.  
  
The Hufflepuffs walked in and took their seats and all of the students smiled and said their hellos to each other. This was the first class where they didn't see new faces. "I wonder where McGonagall is," said one of the Hufflepuff first years.   
  
Suddenly, the cat jumped off of the desk towards the front desk and in mid flight, it changed. It had transformed, 'or transfigured' Steven thought, into Professor McGonagall.  
  
"I'm right here, Justin," she said smiling, allowing the students to clap. "Welcome to Transfigurations. In here, we will be studying the ability to make things change, or transfigure, into something else. Now, take out your books and read chapter one on 'An Introduction to Transfiguration' and let me know when all of you are through."  
  
It turned out that most of McGonagall class time was work. At the end of class, she assigned a large amount of homework and then said that next week they might begin to see how useful a wand really is.  
  
Lunch came and went and the eight Ravenclaws found themselves in the common room trying to figure out what to do. "I'm telling you all that the homework is piling up," Victor said nervously.  
  
"We're going to the library," said Mandy, as her and Lisa strolled out the common room door.  
  
"I just remembered," Steven said surprised, "I haven't written my grandmother since I've gotten here. She's gonna kill me."  
  
The others said the same of writing their parents as they all rushed into their rooms to get paper and pens. They all returned to the common room minutes later with Steven carrying Jasper on his shoulder. The girls crowded around him as they petted Jasper. "She's so pretty." "I love the green nose." "What's her name?" and all sorts of comments went flying around the room as Megan and Padma went on and on about the bird.   
  
"Yeah, well I have a cat," Fred said rather jealously.  
  
"And I'm sure she's so pretty itty bitty," said Victor, laughing.  
  
"All right, you two. We get the picture," Padma said sitting down. "I haven't talked to my sister since I've been here."  
  
"How exactly do we send our letters if we don't have owls?" asked Megan.  
  
"There's an owlery for that occasion. I'll give you directions when you need them," Terry said.  
  
The five of them wrote letters while Terry worked on his Potions. They all finished around the same time and stood to leave. Terry ripped off the corner of his paper and handed it to them. "Shouldn't be too hard to find."  
  
They traipsed around the castle following Terry's directions. Steven had Jasper on his arm when her talons started digging into his arm and she started hooting. "What is it?" Steven asked.  
  
Then, around a corner, the caretaker, Mr. Filch came strolling. "Now what are five first years doing around the castle during class time. I think we should see," he looked at the Ravenclaw shield on their robes, "Professor Flitwick for this."  
  
"We don't have class right now, Mr. Filch," Fred said, "we have Astronomy tonight."  
  
Filch sneered, "Alright then, what are you doing wandering around the castle?"  
  
"Trying to find the owlery," Steven said.  
  
"You've got an owl right there," Filch said, trying to trap them into something.  
  
"But we need four others. Can you tell us if we're going the right way?" Padma asked.  
  
"Yes. Yes. Straight up ahead. Take the stairs all the way up," Filch said, stepping past them, yelling at two red-haired boys who had just jumped in through a window. 


	10. And So The Mystery Begins

Visit the Steven Pront and the Mighty Mystery Resource Page at http://cullmanfirst.nazonline.com/spatmm.html.  
  
Chapter 10 - And So The Mystery Begins  
  
The five of them found the owlery and after some discussion, four prime owls were chosen for the deliveries. Steven took Jasper and tied the note to his grandmother on her leg. He showed the others how to do this and then told Jasper, "Take this to Nana." Jasper hooted happily and then flew out the window. Soon afterwards the other four owls had left.   
  
"Well, I think I need to hunt down Parvati," said Padma. "See you all at Astrology."  
  
"Think we should go back to the common room?" asked Fred.  
  
"Yeah, let's go see how Terry's doing with his Potions, then maybe he can help us," Megan said.  
  
The four retraced their steps to the common room and came face to paint with Mr. Triana. "Garfunkle."  
  
"Well, hello all. I'm afraid I can't let you in right now," said the fifty-looking man dressed in blue dress robes.  
  
"Excuse me?" Victor said, stepping to the front of the group.  
  
"I have been instructed to not allow anyone back into the common room."  
  
"And who instructed you to do so?" Megan asked.  
  
"Our seventh year prefect, Steven Pront," Mr. Triana said.  
  
The three others looked at Steven. "There's another prefect besides Penelope?" Steven said.  
  
"I suppose so, but I didn't know there were any other Steven Pronts at Hogwarts," said Fred.  
  
"There aren't," said a voice behind them.  
  
"Hello, Professor Dumbledore," said Megan.  
  
"Hello, Megan. It seems as though the four of you are having a bit of trouble getting into the common room," the headmaster said.  
  
"Yes, headmaster. But, why would Mr. Triana lie?" Steven asked.  
  
"I'm not lying. See if I let you in again," humphed Mr. Triana.  
  
"Mr. Triana," Dumbledore said as he pulled his wand out.  
  
"Yes?"  
  
"Obliviate."  
  
"Welcome, first years, password?" the man in the painting said.  
  
The first years looked at Dumbledore. "Excuse me, let me just make sure everything is okay inside," he said. "Garfunkle," Dumbledore said as he stepped through the doorway.   
  
As the four waited for Dumbledore to return, Victor asked the picture, "Mr. Triana, is there a prefect in Ravenclaw named Steven Pront?"  
  
The man in the painting gave him a queer look, "Prefect? Why no. Steven's right there behind you. He's a first year student. Prefect, indeed," he scoffed.  
  
The four of them huddled up, "What's going on?" Megan asked.  
  
"It was a Confundus charm," Dumbledore said, stepping back out of the common room. "Your friend Terry was petrified, but I revived him. Terry, I'd like to see you inside your room. Would the rest of you wait in the common room?"  
  
They filed inside. As Megan, Victor, and Fred went over to Terry to help him, Steven followed Dumbledore to his room. Dumbledore led him over to Steven's bed and showed him Jasper's bird cage, inside was a note written on a torn piece of parchment.   
  
"You never should have taken that owl. I'll make sure that what's mine returns to me."  
  
"Steven," Dumbledore said, taking the note, "does Jasper belong to you?"  
  
"Yes, headmaster. I bought him at Eeylops in Diagon Alley. You can ask my grandmother."  
  
"Very well then. Steven, as I look into this matter, I would ask you to take extreme caution to never wander the castle alone and to also keep Jasper safe."  
  
"I will," Steven replied.  
  
Dumbledore left the Ravenclaws to themselves as they huddled around Steven. "What was that about?" asked Fred.  
  
"I'll tell you later. How are you Terry?"  
  
"Just fine. I don't know how it happened. I was sitting here doing my Potions when I heard this voice behind me say Petrificus Totalus. Next thing I know, Dumbledore's asking me if I'm okay."  
  
"Yes, yes. We've all heard, now tell us why Dumbledore needed to see you in your room," Victor said.  
  
"Alright, calm down. He showed me Jasper's cage. Inside of it was a note saying that I never should've taken Jasper. That Jasper belongs to whoever wrote the note and that he'll make sure that what's his returns to him."  
  
Megan sat down, "Is that all?"  
  
"Is that all?!" Fred said. "Steven's got a psycho after his owl. Mr. Triana thinks Steven is a prefect. Dumbledore just magically shows up and unpetrifies Terry. Is that all?!"  
  
"Alright, everyone just calm down," Terry said. "I'm going to lie down. Make sure I'm up for Astrology."  
  
They nodded their agreement, gathered their Potions homework, and left for the library.  
  
Once they arrived and found the materials they need, Megan moved Steven off to the side. "Steven, don't you find this weird?"  
  
Steven looked at her, "I'm at a school studying magic. Four months ago I didn't know I was a wizard. I'm far past weird now. I'm just trying to think about why someone thinks that Jasper is theirs."  
  
"Do you mind if I see the letter?" Megan asked.  
  
"Why?" Steven asked as he stared at her.  
  
"I just need to see it." Steven handed her the paper and she looked at it. "Steven, would you like me to show you a charm that will protect you if someone should try to hurt you?"  
  
Steven sorta chuckled. "Yeah, sure."  
  
"Don't laugh, this is serious. Now, they call this the laughing charm... oh geez. Anyway, all you do is say Rictusempra and point your wand at who you want to strike with it. If you say it with enough power, it will send the one stricken with it flying through the air."  
  
"Rictusempra?" Steven asked.  
  
"Yes. Just remember and we'll practice it before Astrology." 


	11. The North Tower

Visit the Steven Pront and the Mighty Mystery Resource Page at http://cullmanfirst.nazonline.com/spatmm.html.  
  
Chapter 11 - The North Tower  
  
Time in the library came to a close as time for Astrology neared. The first years returned to their dorms to get their pen, paper, book, and telescopes and met Professor Flitwick in the common room. "Now, tonight I will not be around to guide you back to the common room. So, pay particular attention on the way there so you can find your way back tonight. Don't forget to get enough rest tonight because you still have morning classes."  
  
After Flitwick led them out into the halls, Steven made note of statues and such on their way to the tallest tower at Hogwarts, the North Tower. Once they arrived, the Ravenclaws noticed that for the first time, the other students had arrived before them. He saw Harry Potter among them and then Flitwick introduced them to Professor Sinistra.   
  
Speaking in a low tone, Sinistra welcomed them as Flitwick hobbled back down the stairs and closed the door. "This is Astrology, but just because it's not called Astronomy doesn't mean you won't be studying the stars. In this class, we will be looking to the cosmos to determine future, past, and present happenings in the universe. We'll start by going over your signs, Gryffindor first."  
  
Each one of Gryffindor either gave Sinistra their sign or their birthday. She would speak a few words and go one to the next. "Ah, Harry Potter," Steven heard her say, "I already know that your sign is Leo, a true Gryffindor."  
  
She finished with the Gryffindors and came to Megan first. She moved down the row of them and skipped Steven. She came back to him at the end. "Mr. Pront, please tell us your sign."  
  
"Well, I don't know my sign, but I was born on December first," Steven said.  
  
Professor Sinistra smiled, "Another house member who truly belongs. You are a Sagittarius, Steven. Your planet is Jupiter, keep a close eye on it and its companion Jupiter."  
  
Ahem, I haven't done this since chapter one, but let me take an aside here once again. Now, Steven is taking this all rather well isn't he? Becoming a wizard, learning the truth of his parents' death, going to London, being immersed in a strange new world, having someone claim rights to his owl, and now being called a 'house member who truly belongs' by a professor he doesn't know. Oh wait, I think it's all finally caught up to him, let's watch.  
  
Before Sinistra could return to the middle of the circle on the roof, Steven walked beside her and asked, "What do you mean by 'another house member who truly belongs?'"  
  
She stopped and turned to look at him, "All of that will become clear in time, now return to your station."  
  
Sighing and walking back, Steven paid attention as Sinistra instructed the class in the proper use of the telescope and how to interpret the information in their text. After two hours of star gazing, Sinistra allowed them to return to their common rooms, but Steven stayed after.  
  
"Professor Sinistra, I hate to keep bothering you, but a lot of weird things have been happening to me lately and I have this feeling that you know what's going on."  
  
Leading him down the stairs, she tried to calm him, "Don't worry Steven, no harm will come to you as long as you remain true to your sign."  
  
"That's doesn't help me not worry."  
  
"Then let this calm you, Professor Dumbledore, Professor Flitwick, myself, and countless other professors will be keeping a watchful eye on you."  
  
"Again, not helping."  
  
She turned to him with a rather upset look on her face, "In time, you will learn." And she walked away to her office.  
  
Steven turned down the hallway and took a right at a painting of a young boy and young girl playing with an unknown animal. His footsteps echoed down the deserted hallway as he wished that he would've just went along with the rest of the Ravenclaws. It wasn't like Professor Sinistra had given him that much information.  
  
A sudden creaking of a door caught Steven's attention as he whirled on his foot to look behind him. Out of one of the classrooms stepped a dark figure, one that Steven could not identify. Without much more thought, Steven turned and darted down the hall as the figure gave chase.   
  
Steven immediately noted that the figure sounded as though it was a walking car crash, as it made an enormous amount of sound as it ran. Then it struck Steven, this was a knight's suit of armor. Steven stopped and turned to face the suit because he knew what this was; this was a chameleon ghoul playing games with a first year.   
  
As the suit neared Steven it drew its sword. Steven was just barely able to duck in time to avoid the charging sword. He turned to see if the suit was making another pass as he saw Professor Snape charge down a set of stairs, take his wand, and speak "Finite Incantatem!"  
  
The suit of armor fell harmlessly to the ground and an eerie green mist rose from it. "Mr. Pront, return to your common room now, the path is guarded."  
  
Unable to mutter a thank you, Steven took one last look and jogged back to the common room. 


	12. A Strange Peace

Visit the Steven Pront and the Mighty Mystery Resource Page at http://cullmanfirst.nazonline.com/spatmm.html.  
  
Chapter 12 - A Strange Peace  
  
After the weird suit of armor incident, Steven's days passed by without further interference. Herbology came early in the morning. Steven and his fellow students opted for longer sleeping instead of breakfast. As they trudged into the greenhouse, there stood Professor Sprout. "Hello Ravenclaw, Professor Flitwick. Slytherin's already here if you'll all take your places."  
  
Ravenclaw filed onto one side of a table filled with plants while Slytherin students stood on the other. Steven filed all the way down to the end, across from Brittney. They smiled at each other as Madam Sprout began, "Alright, before I ever introduce you to magical plants, we need to go over basics. In front of you are standard muggle daisies. What you'll be doing with these is to ensure that these plants survive. These daisies will be your first grade in this class. You may take them with you to your dorms after class, but let me give you some directions."  
  
Professor Sprout spent the rest of the time going over how to care for the daisies. Steven and Brittney caught a few furtive glances from the other during the class. Once Madam Sprout had dismissed class, the Slytherins stole away to lunch and Brittney went with them.  
  
At lunch, Steven's friends asked him about last night and all of the other strange occurrences. They reassured him that everything would be okay and Megan apologized for not having shown him how to use Rictusempra. "I think I'm going to see Professor Flitwick," Steven said as he stood from the table. "I'll see you all at History of Magic."  
  
Steven walked through the halls continually looking over his shoulder until he reached the safety of Flitwick's class. "Professor Flitwick, are you here?" Steven called.  
  
Out of one of the cabinets came a strange squeal and out popped Flitwick, "Hello there, Steven. Anything I can help you with."  
  
"Well, I was wondering if you could teach me a charm or two to help me just in case I get into more..."  
  
But Flitwick cut him off, "Yes, Severus told me about last night. Let me think for a moment," he said as he walked to his desk. Finally he chuckled to himself, "Well, of course, the most obvious charm is the disarming charm. I suppose you have your wand with you?"  
  
"Yes, here it is," Steven said as he pulled it out.  
  
"Not anymore," Flitwick said. "Expelliarmus!" Flitwick said as he pulled his wand out. Steven's wand flew out of his hand and into Flitwick's hand.. "Now, you try it."  
  
Steven took his wand back, closed his eyes to think, and then he opened them. "Expelliarmus!" he yelled and pointed his wand at Flitwick. The professor flew off his feet and his wand went spinning onto the floor.   
  
Flitwick got up absolutely exuberant, "Perfect, perfect. I've never seen anyone catch on so quickly. One other and you should be set. How about ... yes, yes, that will do." The professor waddled over to one of his many cabinets and opened it. Out of it he pulled a frog. "Now then, Steven. Once I release this frog, point your wand at it and say, "Impedimenta!" That spell will slow it down, or stop it depending on how strong the charm is.  
  
Flitwick released the frog and Steven went into action. Unfortunately, the frog wouldn't stay still. As soon as he would cast his charm the frog would jump out of the way. After about a minute of fruitless labor, the frog jumped and Steven got it in midair. The frog thumped onto the ground, unable to catch itself fast enough. It sorta waddled along as Flitwick picked it up and put it back.  
  
"Very good, Steven. Those should be sufficient to protect you. The teachers have been alerted to your situation and they will keep an eye on you during suspicious times, such as at night. Anything else you need help with?"  
  
"No, that helps a lot, professor. Thanks a lot."  
  
"No problem, Steven. I'm always here to help."  
  
Steven got his History books out of his dorm and found his way to Professor Binn's classroom with the guidance of a third year Ravenclaw named Amanda. On the way, the two got to know each other.  
  
"Well, Steven, ever seen an America Quidditch match?" she asked.  
  
"Quidditch?" he said.  
  
"Oh, I suppose you're not familiar. Quidditch is a wizarding sport played on brooms on a giant field. I'm one of the beaters. You'll see soon enough how much fun it is," Amanda said as she left him at History.  
  
Ahem, time for another aside. Poor Steven. Didn't know what waited in History of Magic. We'll just leave it at the fact that Professor Binns drones on and on about goblin revolts. Needless to say, Steven and his friends found this to be a good time to catch up on sleep.  
  
Well, after History, they had no problems getting back to sleep in the dorms and Steven's day ended peacefully. However, the next didn't start so. He awoke to find Jasper sitting on his chest pecking him on the chin.   
  
"I'm awake, I'm awake. What do you want?" Jasper waddled over to the side of the bed and allowed Steven to get up and prepare for the day. Jasper went to breakfast with Steven and his friends and Steven figured out what Jasper wanted - food. "Didn't Nana feed you?" he said as he gave Jasper some bacon.  
  
The owl looked at him rather funny and went on eating. Fred was looking rather sad as he told Steven that they had flying today.   
  
"You're not looking forward to flying?" Victor said.  
  
"Not particularly. It's alright, I guess. But I would still rather stay on the ground."  
  
The other seven Ravenclaws tried to comfort Fred as they walked outside to meet Madam Hooch. 


	13. Time Just Flies When You're Having Fun

Visit the Steven Pront and the Mighty Mystery Resource Page at http://cullmanfirst.nazonline.com/spatmm.html.  
  
Just a note, this is a short chapter, shorter than the others. I guess I'll have to make up for that in the next one. :-D  
  
Chapter 13 – Time Just Flies When You're Having Fun  
  
Madam Hooch was waiting for Steven and his friends when they arrived on the grounds just outside the gate. "Welcome to Magical Flight, Ravenclaws. I am Madam Hooch and I will be teaching you. Well, let's get going then."  
  
Madam Hooch led them across the grounds to a more open area where there were eight brooms laid out, four facing the other four. "Now then, girls on one side, boys on the other, chop chop. Everyone stand on the left side of your broom, put your right hand over it, and say 'up.'"  
  
Steven noticed that Madam Hooch liked to get to the point and get there quick. Everyone was standing by their brooms, gave each other a glance, and then proceeded trying to get the brooms to comply. "UP!" Steven yelled at the broom. The broom by him gave a little shudder and jumped on the ground, but not much else. He looked around at the others and noticed mostly the same thing happening. But, some how, Megan already had her broom up in her hand.  
  
"UP!" he said again. The same reaction came from the broom. Steven took a moment to stop and think. 'Nana always tells me that magic mostly deals with meaning.' He was just about to command the broom again when Madam Hooch said, "Say it with meaning."  
  
He smiled and yelled, "UP!" again and this time the broom soared into his hand. The force of it threw Steven off but he remained upright. Once all of them had managed to get their brooms, their teacher continued, "Now, we're going to get you up on your brooms and you'll have your first lesson. Well, some of you will, others have probably flown already."  
  
She gave them instructions on how to climb on, hold on, and take off. "Now then, I've already tried letting the whole class take off at the same time, but we had a minor accident. So, I'll let the girls go first while the boys look on, then we'll switch."  
  
Steven and the other boys stepped to the side and sat down on the grass to watch Padma, Megan, Mandy, and Lisa take their shot at flying. They each did fairly well and Madam Hooch gave them all good marks. "Alright boys, your turn, just like the girls now. Except, of course, you probably won't ride side-saddle."  
  
The guys didn't do as well as the girls, but they still received good marks. After a bit more of practice, Madam Hooch dismissed them to lunch. On the way back, they discussed the lesson. "I think flying is my favorite subject," Padma said.  
  
"It's alright," Megan replied. "But I sorta fancy potions."  
  
"Potions?" Fred snorted. "Defense Against the Dark Arts, hands down. What about you Steven?"  
  
Steven thought for a second, "I like Charms the most."  
  
"You should think about joining the Charms Club then," Victor said.  
  
"I'll consider it."  
  
Lunch rolled along while they discussed their next class, doubles. "So, what is our first doubles class?" Lisa asked.  
  
"Intro to Magical Study," Padma said. "Flitwick said that we'd be doing a tour of the school and he'd answer any questions that we had."  
  
The doubles class came and went and so did the next few weeks. Steven and his fellow Ravenclaws focused on their studies as they began to get a bit involved at the school. Steven joined the Charms Club with Fred and Megan.  
  
As the time quickly passed, Quidditch season approached and the time finally came for the first match. 


	14. Ravenclaw vs Hufflepuff

Visit the Steven Pront and the Mighty Mystery Resource Page at http://cullmanfirst.nazonline.com/spatmm.html.  
  
Chapter 14 – Ravenclaw vs. Hufflepuff  
  
The morning of Ravenclaw's first Quidditch match came just as any other, but as Steven made his way to the common room, he knew that this day would be full of excitement. The house colors were sparkling everywhere from newly cast spells and everyone from first years to seventh years were talking about the match. Steven saw Kim and Amanda sitting in a corner with some other Ravenclaws, but they were dressed differently; he decided to investigate.  
  
"Hey Kim, Amanda. What are ya'll wearing?" he asked as he sat in a chair across from them.  
  
"We're on the Quidditch team, remember? These are our robes for the match," Amanda said.  
  
Steven nodded, "So, is anyone gonna fill me in on how this works?"  
  
Kim looked at the others around them, "I think you'll figure it out quick enough. Besides, we're due on the pitch in ten minutes. Let's go, Amanda." The two of them hustled out the door with their brooms and Steven and the rest of Ravenclaw house went to breakfast.   
  
He kept asking about Quidditch and kept getting the same answer about being able to pick it up easily. Megan finally gave him some new information, "Quidditch is played on brooms over a field called the pitch. There are three goals in which teams must try to put a ball, called the quaffle, into. There are seven players, one seeker, one keeper, two beaters, and three chasers. You'll figure out what they all do at the match."  
  
As breakfast was drawing to a close, Dumbledore stood and called for the student's attention. "Today, Ravenclaw will play Hufflepuff. Might I remind you that magic is strictly forbidden in the Quidditch arena. More importantly, have fun and enjoy you day free of classes."  
  
Steven and the other seven first years joined in with the rest of Ravenclaw and chanted all the way down to the massive arena. As they found their seats, Steven could hardly take it all in. The oval arena centered around a large field and, as Megan said, three goals at each end. Steven's flying instructor came out to the center of the field and then the announcer's voice filled the arena.  
  
"Welcome to Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff's first match of the season, we look forward to seeing their teams in action. Speak of the devil, here comes Ravenclaw onto the field. Their lineup this year consists of captain and chaser Trent Brown, chaser Alicia Vinderbrot, chaser Tyrome Carn, beater Brian Carson, beater Amanda Kelsoe, keeper Kimberly Free, and seeker Carl Dent."  
  
As their names were announced, the players would fly out from the side of the arena. Steven cheered when Amanda and Kim came out, as well as when the other players joined them.  
  
"Now, here comes Hufflepuff. Their team this year is led by captain and beater Mark Brown and his team of fellow beater Jennifer Fawn, keeper Bart Zilt, chaser Ted Dreab, chaser Harlan Yurd, chaser Briana Stevens, and seeker Margaret Pots."  
  
The Ravenclaws remained silent during the Hufflepuff introductions. They wanted to win, but they didn't boo their fellow classmates. However, it seemed Hufflepuff was louder than Ravenclaw at cheering.  
  
The announcer continued, "Madam Hooch gives the players their last minute instructions … and their goes the quaffle, Ravenclaw has it, who is it? Trent Brown's got the quaffle moving down the pitch to Hufflepuff's goals. Kelsoe gives that bludger a good beating towards the keeper. AND RAVENCLAW SCORES! Ten points to Ravenclaw as Harlan Yurd takes the quaffle and leads down the pitch."  
  
All around Steven, his fellow classmates were erupting in cheers as he struggled to see what was going on and to listen to the announcer, "Harlan passes to Ted, protected by captain Brown from a bludger, passes to Bart. INTERCEPTED BY RAVENCLAW! Who is that? Man these brooms are fast this year. It's Alicia with the interception as she dodges a bludger and passes to Tyrome. Brian and Amanda are keeping the lanes free as Tyrome throws the quaffle AND keeper Bart Zilt catches it this time."  
  
Steven's head was spinning with excitement. This was awesome! He could almost dislike his grandmother for keeping this part secret from him. But all of a sudden, a glint of gold flew past Steven and he saw Carl take off. "What's going on?"  
  
Fred was standing beside him, "Just listen to Jordan commentate."  
  
"WE HAVE A SIGHTING ON THE SNITCH as Carl Dent takes off and Margaret is close on his tail. A bludger fired by Jennifer throws Carl off and Margie takes the lead." The crowd gave out a large oh as Amanda showed them why she was beater. "Amanda Kelsoe is hot on the tail of Margaret, there comes a bludger straight at the two and OUCH! Margaret's broom goes sailing off course after she gets it from the side from Amanda. Isn't that a foul? Nope, Madam Hooch rules it legal."  
  
"There are fouls, too?" asked Steven. But Fred didn't hear him.  
  
"It appears the snitch is lost again as Ravenclaw scores their fourth goal," said Jordan. "That puts the score forty to twenty, Ravenclaw. Here goes Ted down the field, passes to Harlan, he shoots, and Kim Free takes away another goal from Hufflepuff. BUT NO! She's not passing it, she's taking off down the field! Can she do that? My goodness! This is brand new! Kim flies down the field as Amanda clears her path, she passes to … AMANDA!? What's going on? Did Trent even assign positions on his team? She passes back to Kim, she throws, and SHE SCORES! The keeper scores. This has to damage poor Hufflepuff. Oh, the pandemonium."  
  
"We might have a chance at the cup this year!" yelled a fourth year behind Steven.  
  
"Kim returns to her post as … Carl takes off again, he's seen the snitch. There goes Margaret with the follow-up. They're neck-to-neck. And OH! Brian takes Margaret out. CARL HAS THE SNITCH, HE'S CAUGHT THE SNITCH, IT'S OVER! RAVENCLAW WINS TWO HUNDRED TEN TO FORTY!"   
  
The Ravenclaw team dropped to the ground on their brooms and ran together into a huge hug. Seventh years in the stands were running around hugging first years. Steven didn't know what to think. He ran back to the common room with the rest of his house and there was a huge party until three the next morning. 


	15. The Mystery Continues

Visit the Steven Pront and the Mighty Mystery Resource Page at http://cullmanfirst.nazonline.com/spatmm.html.  
  
Chapter 15 – The Mystery Continues  
  
The next day seemed to come far too early for the Ravenclaws. As Steven came out of the boys dorm hall, he saw Megan sitting on one of the couches with her cat. He walked over and sat down and the cat santered over and sat down on his lap. "Hey Megan."  
  
"Hello, Steven. Sleep much?" she asked as a smile broke out on her face.  
  
"Not nearly," Steven said as his eyes rolled back into his head. Whiskers, Megan's cat, put his front paws on Steven's chest and began licking his chin. "Stop that, Whiskers. I need sleep."  
  
"Oh, come on, Steven. It's time for breakfast anyway."  
  
Megan and Steven were the only first years from Ravenclaw that made it to breakfast on time. The rest of them, except Terry, came in about halfway through. "What is today anyway?" Fred asked with his head on the table.  
  
"Monday, I think," said Lisa.  
  
"Good, maybe Flitwick will have pity on us."  
  
"No, today is Tuesday. Potions first thing," said Steven.  
  
They all groaned. "Great, just great. That's all I need to do is mess up a potion and blow myself up." Victor said.  
  
"Maybe Snape will have pity on us?" Megan said.  
  
There was a resounding, "Doubt it." And they finished breakfast and made their way to Potions.  
  
Snape began the lesson ominously, "Today will be difficult for most of you. If you get lost or need help, notify me immediately as this potion is extremely dangerous when mixed incorrectly. You should have seen what the Gryffindors did to it. Anyway, the directions are on the board and ingredients can be found in the student store."  
  
Steven and Fred sat beside each other in Potions. They were both alright, but neither was sensational when it came to the 'finer art of Potions.' Soon enough, Steven found out why this Potion was dangerous.  
  
"Could you hand me some aconite, Fred?" Steven asked.  
  
"Sure," Fred said as his hand swept across the table. Before anyone knew what had happened, Fred hit Steven's cauldron with the bottle he thought was aconite. The bottle actually contained asphodel, which mixed with the ingredients in the cauldron and spilled all over Steven.  
  
As Snape turned from the students he was helping, all he saw was an overturned cauldron and Fred sitting there stunned. Steven lay sopping in the floor, unconscious. "Mr. Glick, what happened?"  
  
Fred stuttered at first while Snape crossed the room and knelt over Steven, "I hit his cauldron and it overturned and the aconite mixed with it."  
  
Padma picked up the bottle, "Fred, this is asphodel, not aconite."  
  
Snape made a horrible face and retreated to his office. He returned with his wand and a jar of powder. Snape sprinkled the powder on Steven from head to toe and then levitated Steven with his wand. "No one is to touch that liquid. Gather up your things, leave your potions behind, and leave the room as soon as possible. Class dismissed."  
  
Next thing Steven knew, he was waking up in the hospital ward. Madam Pomfrey saw him rise up in bed and walked over to him. "Welcome back to the world, Mr. Pront. You gave us quite a scare."  
  
Steven propped against the wall behind the bed, "What happened?"  
  
"Well, Professor Snape said that your cauldron spilled and was contaminated with other ingredients. It made something very nasty and knocked you clean out for two days."  
  
"TWO DAYS?!" Steven yelled.  
  
Madam Pomfrey shooshed him and gave him a glass of water. "Calm down, Steven. You're okay. Just knocked you out real good. Now, you'll stay here tonight and go to classes tomorrow."  
  
Steven settled back into the bed and tried to go to sleep as Madam Pomfrey made her nightly rounds and left the room. It wasn't long after Steven awoke again to the sound of slow footsteps. He rolled off of his stomach onto his side and looked at the doorway. He could make out a shadow on the hallway's wall just opposite the doorway.  
  
As the figure grew larger, Steven got a very ominous feeling that something bad was about to happen. In a flurry of action, Steven threw the sheet off of him and ran behind the changing curtain. Apparently, the figure didn't hear him because it didn't stop or go faster.   
  
Steven looked under the curtain and saw two shoes moving across the hospital room. As they reached the foot of Steven's bed, they stopped and turned around in circles. Whoever it was, they were looking for Steven. He started to sweat as the shoes came straight for the curtain. Steven reached for his wand but realized that he didn't have it on him; it was on the nightstand by his bed.  
  
"ACCIO WAND!" Steven yelled as he reached his arm out for the wand. Once it flew into his hand he stood up in time to see the intruder throw the curtain back. Steven couldn't see the face; in fact, the entire body was covered. "IMPEDIMENTA!"  
  
Steven's spell hit the intruder hard in the chest, throwing them backwards. Without looking back, Steven ran out of the hospital room and straight for Ravenclaw's common room. 


End file.
